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4-3 Key Requirement for Universal Access universal access WIA recipients are required to provide universal access to all WIA funded programs and activities (29 CFR 37.42). Term to Know – Universal Access Term to Know – Universal Access Ensuring that an equivalent level of information regarding aid, benefits, services, and training is provided to all populations of eligible participants

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4-4 Key Requirement for Universal Access (cont.) Recipients must demonstrate a reasonable effort to include varying demographic groups in their WIA programs and activities, including:  Both sexes  Various racial and ethnic groups  Individuals with disabilities  Different age groups

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4-5 Ways of Meeting Universal Access Requirement Advertising in target media Sending notices about openings in the recipient’s programs and activities to schools and community service groups that serve various populations Consulting with appropriate community organizations about ways to improve outreach

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4-6 Assessing the Population Who Must Conduct The state or the WIA recipients within the state should conduct an assessment of the population to determine how to improve access to their WIA-funded programs and services.

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4-7 Assessing the Population (cont.) The Assessment Plan  Purpose and scope of the study  Methods to be used  Resources available  Plan for using the study results

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4-11 Assessing the Population (cont.) Using the Results of the Study  Improve compliance with Universal Access requirement under WIA  Improve services to specific population groups  Increase available opportunities for WIA populations

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4-12 Outreach & Recruitment Plan Based on the assessment results, the state must develop outreach and recruitment plans to broaden the participation and employment pools in those groups where a need was indicated. EXAMPLE: Study may show that a significant proportion of the eligible population requires communication and services in a language other than English.

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4-13 Outreach & Recruitment Plan (cont.) Where an assessment reveals a need for services or information in a language other than English, recipients must take reasonable steps to communicate in the identified language(s). Recipients must also make reasonable efforts to meet the language needs of individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP), even if their numbers are not significant in size within the eligible population.

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4-14 Outreach & Recruitment Plans: What Reasonable Plans Include Establishing procedures for listing job openings and available programs or service opportunities that reach the greatest number of the local service area population Developing relationships with community organizations Assigning staff and resources to carry out the outreach plan Ensuring staff awareness of the outreach plan through training and orientation

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4-15 Activity: PSA on Universal Access Purpose:  Identify the groups that the state and its recipients must consider for participation in their programs & activitiesTask: You are an EO Officer for a One-Stop Center located along the southwest border of the country. You’ve been asked to develop a PSA for the state’s WorkSource Program. Write a PSA that conforms with WIA’s universal access requirements. Share your work with the 15 minutes

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4-17 State’s Implementation of Universal Access Requirements How the state will communicate universal access obligations to all recipients, including all languages applicable to recipient’s client groups How the recipients have made, and will continue making, efforts to ensure universal access How the state will monitor and evaluate the success of its recipients’ universal access efforts

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Wrap-up Activity: Quiz You are about to take an imaginary journey. Close your eyes. It is one year from now. You are in this very same room for a VIP Awards Banquet. You are receiving the Grand Prize for an exceptional job at implementing the universal access requirements in your state. You are about to deliver your acceptance speech, in which you will describe your accomplishments. Spend about a minute or two to think in detail about what you did in the past year to win this award. Now open your eyes and write 2-3 paragraphs that detail actions you took last year that you are most proud of. These will be part of your acceptance speech. 4-18